Doll and individual rolling eye therefor



Sept. 3, 1940. s, cps 2,213,676

DOLL AND INDIVIDUAL ROLLING EYE THEREFOR Filed Sept. 14, 1939 INVENTORSAMUEL MARCUS Q BY ,1. M I" M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNETEDSTATES DOLL AND INDIVIDUAL ROLLING EYE THEREFOR Samuel Marcus, JerseyCity, N. 5., assignor to Margon Corporation, Bayonne, N. .l'., acorporation of New Jersey Application September 14, 1939, Serial No.294,843

15 Claims.

This invention relates to dolls with movable eyes, and more particularlyto an individual rolling eye for use in a flexible doll head.

The primary object of my invention is to generally improve movable dolleyes, particularly rolling eyes, and more especially such eyes intendedfor use in rubber or flexible doll heads.

In my co-pending application Serial Number 215,777, filed June 25, 1938,I disclose a method for mounting individual eyes in a flexible dollhead. The eye there disclosed is a sleeping eye, that is, an eyeintended solely for up and down movement. One important object of thepresent invention is to provide a doll eye which may be mounted in arubber head in much the same manner as is disclosed in my co-pendingapplication, but .which eye is pivoted for sideward as well as verticaloscillation, thereby making it possible to equip even a rubber head withrolling eyes. Other objects are to provide a rolling eye mechanism whichis simple in construction, light in weight, dependable in operation, andmade of a minimum number of comparatively inexpensive sheet metal parts.

such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists inthe doll head and eye ele ments, and their relation one to the other, ashereinafter are more particularly described in the specification andsought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied bya drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a section taken in elevation through a doll head in the planeof one of the eye members;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section across the head, and shows the eyemechanism looking from the rear;

Fig. 3 is a section taken in elevation through the doll eye assembly;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the doll eye assembly;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, but with the eye turned to sideward position;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the eye assembly when the eye is turned toclosed or sleeping position;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the eye member itself, removed from theouter shell;

Fig. 8 is a rear view of the eye member; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line 99 of Fig.7.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, thedoll head l2 may be made of a yieldable material, preferably vulcanizedrubber, which is either left soft or only partially hardened, so that itremains somewhat flexible and yieldable to the touch. These heads haveproved to be popular because they better simulate the soft feel ofnatural flesh, but have caused great difficulty when attempting to pro-To the accomplishment of the foregoing andv vide the same with movableeyes. The head l2 has inwardly or rearwardly projecting walls Ml moldedintegrally therewith, and these walls define eye housings or sockets It.In the present case the sockets are approximately cylindrical orfrustroconical, and are disposed immediately in back of the eyeopenings. The sockets are preferably tapered or frustroconical, therebyfacilitating withdrawal of the molded head from the mold in which it isformed, and also facilitating insertion of the eye assembly. The taperneed not be initially as great as shown, for the socket may be expandedsomewhat by the eye assembly itself.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen that in the present case the sockets l8 areformed in a substantial solid bridge it of rubber material extendingacross the front wall of the head. This is not essential, and the wallsM surrounding the sockets may be merely cylindrical, but the arrangementof Fig. 2 has the advantage of stiffening the head against excessivedeformation in the immediate region of the eyes.

The nature of the eye assembly will be evident on referring to Figs. 3through 9 of the drawing. The assembly comprises a sheet metal outershell 20 which is open at the rear, and which is cut away at the frontto form an eye opening .22 which conforms generally to the eye openingsin the doll head. The opening 22 may be, however, and preferably is madeslightly larger than the opening in the doll head, in order not tounnecessarily expose the edges of the metal outer shell 26. Of course,the opening 22 is not made much larger than the eye opening, for onepurpose of the outer shell is to provide a rigid, pro-- tective housingaround the eye member 2 5, with a certain amount of clearancetherebetween to insure free oscillation of the eye member. The opening22 therefore must not be made so large as to permit the rubber eyeopening to engage I and rub frictionally against the eye member 2a,because this would interfere with the desired free oscillation of theeye member.

The eye member 2% is approximately hemispherical in configuration, andin the present case, is shown in simplest form, but it will beunderstood that the eye member may, if desired, be elaborated to includea lens, or an eyelash, or both. The eye member is oscillatably mountedon a cross shaft 26 which extends horizontally across the eye member,the ends of shaft 26 being received in holes 28 (Fig. 7) in the sidewalls of the eye member. The eye member turns freely on shaft 26, andthe latter is upset at 3@ (Figs. 4 and 5) to prevent axial movement ofthe shaft relative to the eye, for that would permit the eye to escapefrom the shaft. The keys or thrust bearings 38 are most simply formed bystriking or pinching the metal of the shaft to extrude a part of themetal outwardly. The extension of shaft 26 beyond the thrust bearings3i) is preferably made comparatively slight, so that the shaft can beforced in position in the eye by taking advantage of the yieldability ofthe eye, it being sprung over the ends of the shaft.

The eye member 24 is preferably drawn to shape from sheet metal. The eyeis provided with a weight arm 32 which extends rearwardly from the eyeand then downwardly to a weight 3%. The weight arm is preferably formedof sheet metal, and is most simply made integrally with the eye member,as is clearly shown in the drawing. The weight 34 may be made in variedways, and in the present case consists of a strip or bar of acomparatively soft weighty metal such as lead, this metal being bent toU-shape around the end of the weight arm, and being indented at 36 tohelp anchor the same on the weight arm. The latter may, if desired, beprovided with a hole 38 (Fig. 3) which receives the indented metal,thereby locking the parts securely together.

Shaft 26 is carried by an upright member or bearing ii]. The upper andlower ends of bearing 49 form pins or trunnions which are pivotallyreceived in pockets 32, the latter being struck outwardly at the top andbottom of outer shell 20. This affords lateral or side to sideoscillation of the eye member. The axis of the vertical bearing ispreferably located in the same plane as and intersects the axis of thehorizontal shaft 26. These axes preferably intersect at the center ofcurvature of the spherical surface of eye member 2%, so that the spacingof the eye member from the eye opening does not vary during oscillationof the eye member in any direction.

The upright bearing til is preferably stamped out of sheet metal, and isgiven a configuration like that shown in Fig. 3, this somewhat simulating an E or sigma. The center .part M is enlarged to receive the shaft26. The shaft is held frictionally or tightly gripped between the jawsof center portion M. A closed hole may be provided in portion 44 toreceive the shaft 28, but it is better to use an openhole, as shown,because then the hole may be made somewhat smaller in diameter than theshaft, thereby insuring a continued tight grip between the parts afterthe shaft is pressed into position.

The upright bearing 58 is liberally cut away at the top and bottom, asis indicated at 46, thereby providing clearance for vertical oscillationof eye member 24. In Fig. 3 the eye is shown in open position, and theupper edge. of the eye is received in the upper recess it. In Fig. 6 the'eye is shown in closed position, and the lower edge of the eye isreceived in the lower recess 6'5.

The weight arm 32' and the lowermost part of eye member 2 5 are slottedas is indicated at (Figs. 3 and 9) to receive the upright bearing til.The slot Q8 is made long enough to afford vertical oscillation of theeye member between the positions shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6. In Fig. 3the bearing it! occupies the rear end of slot l8, while in Fig. 6 itoccupies the forward end of slot 48.

To put together the parts of the eye assembly, the shaft 26 is firstpressed into bearing ii), following which the ends of shaft ZB-are upsetat so. 7 The shaft and bearing combination is then assembled with theeye member 2%, the lower end of bearing ill being passed through slot18, and the ends of shaft 26 being sprung into the holes at the sides ofthe eye member. The partial w assembly is then inserted in outer shell20, the

ends of bearing 40 being sprung into the pockets 42 at the top andbottom of the outer shell. The weight 34 may be added to weight arm 32at any convenient time, either before or after assembling the otherparts.

The eye assembly is now ready for insertion in the doll head. For thispurpose, it is forced into the housing l6, and is then held in place bydriving a pair of pins 50 through the rubber housing immediately behindthe rear edge of the outer shell 26. Pins 58 may be ordinary nails orbrads. The pins are preferably applied by using the mechanism describedin my co-pending application Serial Number 215,777, previously referredto. In the present case, however, the nails 50 are preferably spacedapart somewhat further than was indicated in my co-pending application,in order to provide adequate clearance for side to side or rollingmovement of the Weight arm 32 with the eye.

It will be understood that the weight at produces both'the vertical andhorizontal oscillation of the eye. When the head is in a verticalposition, the downward movement of the Weight moves the eye to openposition. When the head is turned to a horizontal position, the weightmaintains its downward position, and the eye therefore changes to closedposition. The movement of the eye so far described, takes place aboutthe shaft 26. If the head is leaned to one side or the other, or isrocked from side to side, the weight causes a sideward movement of theeye, this movement taking place about the vertical bearing pockets :32.The maximum opening and closing movement of the eye may be limited bythe length of slot 48, or the recesses 46, and the maximum sidewardoscillation of the eye may be limited by the spacing of the nails kit.

It is bjelieved that the doll head and doll eye construction of myinvention, as well as the many advantages thereof, will be apparent fromthe foregoing detailed description. The eyes are individually completeand are therefore independent of one another, and require nointerconnecting mechanism therebetween. is not hindered in the event ofdeformation of the head causing a displacement of one eye openingrelative to the other. The individual eyes are protected by the outershells against deformation of the eye openings. The outer shells servealso to receive the upright bearing. The entire eye structure is simple,light, and made of a minimum number of inexpensive sheet metal partswhich may be manufactured and assembled with a minimum of labor. The eyeis readily and inexpensively yet securedly held in position by theattaching nails.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my inventionin a preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention defined in the followingclaims.

I clairn:

1. A single rolling doll eye assembly, said assembly comprising an outershell open at the rear and cut away at the front to conform to an eyeopening, an eye member within said outer shell, a weight arm extendingfrom said eye member, a cross shaft extending horizontally across theeye for up and down or sleeping move ment of the eye, an upright bear ngcarrying the cross shaft, the upper and lower ends of said uprightbearing being pivotally received at the top and bottom of the outershell to afiord side to side or rolling movement of the eye, the afore-Their operation iii) said weight arm being longitudinally slotted or cutaway to receive the upright bearing.

2. A single rolling doll eye assembly, said assembly comprising an outershell cut away at the front to conform to an eye opening, an eye memberWithin said outer shell, a cross shaft extending horizontally across theeye for up and down or sleeping movement of the eye, an upright bearingstruck out of sheet metal and carrying the cross shaft, the upper andlower ends of said upright bearing being pivotally received at the topand bottom of the outer shell to afford side to side or rolling movementof the eye, said upright bearing being cut away at the front be tweenthe cross shaft and the top and bottom of the bearing to receive the eyemember during up and down oscillation thereof.

3. A single rolling doll eye assembly, said assembly comprising agenerally hemispherical outer shell open at the rear and cut away at thefront to conform to an eye opening, an eye member Within said outershell, a weight arm extending rearwardly and downwardly from said eyemember, a weight at the end of said weight arm, a cross shaft extendinghorizontally across the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of theeye, an upright bearing carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lowerends of said upright bearing being pivotally received at the top andbottom of the outer shell to afford side to side or rolling movement ofthe eye, the aforesaid weight arm being so shaped as to clear theupright bearing.

4. A single rolling doll eye assembly, said assembly comprising agenerally hemispherical outer shell open at the rear and cut away at thefront to conform to an eye opening, an eye member within said outershell, a weight arm extending rearwardly and downwardly from said eyemember, a weight at the end of said weight arm,

a cross shaft extending horizontally across the eye for up and down orsleeping movement of the eye, an upright bearing struck out of sheetmetal and carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lower ends of saidupright bearing being pivotally received at the top and bottom of theouter shell to afford side to side or rolling movement of the eye, saidupright bearing being cut away at the front between the cross shaft andthe upper and lower ends of the bearing to receive the eye member duringup and down oscillation thereof, and the aforesaid weight arm being soshaped as to clear the upright bearing.

5. A single rolling doll eye assembly for use i in a rubber head, saidassembly comprising an outer shell open at the rear and cut away at thefront to conform to an eye opening, an eye member within said outershell, a weight arm formed integrally with said eye member and extendingrearwardly and downwardly from said eye member, a weight at the end ofsaid weight arm, a cross shaft extending horizontally across the eye forup and down or sleeping movement of the eye, an upright bearing struckout of sheet metal and carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lowerends of said upright bearing being pivotally received at the top andbottom of the outer shell to afford side to side or rolling movement ofthe eye, said upright bearing being cut away at the front between thecrcss shaft and the upper and lower ends of the bearing to receive theeye member during up and down oscillation thereof, and the aforesaidweight arm being longitudinally slotted or cut away to receive theupright bearing.

6. In combination, a doll head having eye openings, said head beingmolded with inwardly directed walls at the eye opening, defining socketsprojecting rearwardly from the eye openings, a rolling eye assemblyinserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising an outer shellopen at the rear and cut away at the front to conform to the eyeopening, an eye member within said outer shell, a weight arm extendingrearwardly from said eye member, a cross shaft extending horizontallyacross the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of the eye, anupright bearing carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lower ends ofupright bearing being pivotally received at the top and bottom of theouter shell to afford side to side or rolling movement of the eye, andthe aforesaid weight arm being longitudinally slotted or cut away toreceive the upright bearing.

7. In combination, a doll head having eye openings, said head beingmolded with inwardly directed walls at the eye openings defining asockets projecting rearwardly from the eye openings, a rolling eyeassembly inserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising an outershell cut away at the front to conform to an eye opening, an eye memberwithin said outer shell, a cross shaft extending horizontally across theeye for up and down or sleeping movement of the eye, an upright bearingstruck out of sheet metal and carrying the cross shaft, the upper andlower ends of said upright bearing being pivotally received at the topand bottom of the outer shell to afford side to side or rolling movementof the eye, said upright bearing being cut away at the front between thecross shaft and the upper and lower ends of the bearing to receive theeye member during up and down oscillation thereof.

8. In combination, a (101] head made of rubber and having eye openings,said head being molded with inwardly directed walls at the eye openingsdefining sockets projecting rearwardly from the eye openings, a rollingeye assembly inserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising agenerally hemispherical outer shell open at the rear and cut away at thefront to conform to an eye opening, an eye member within said outershell, a weight arm extending rearwardly and downwardly from said eyemember, a weight at the end of said weight arm, a cross shaft extendinghorizontally across the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of theeye, an upright bearing carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lowerends of said upright bearing being pivotally received at the top andbottom of the outer shell to afford side to side or rolling movement ofthe eye, the aforesaid weight arm clearing the up right bearing.

9. In combination, a doll head made of rubber and having eye openings,said head being molded with inwardly directed Walls at the eye openingsdefining sockets projecting rearwardly from the eye openings, a rollingeye assembly inserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising agenerally hemispherical outer shell open at the rear and cut away at thefront to conform to an eye opening, an eye member within said outershell, a weight arm extending rearwardly and downwardly from said eyemember, a weight at the end of said weight arm, a cross shaft extendinghorizontally across the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of theeye, an upright bearing struck out of sheet metal and carrying the crossshaft, the upper and lower ends of said upright bearing being pivotallyreceived at the top and bottom of the outer shell to afford side to sideor rolling movement of the 'eye, said upright bearing being cut away atthe front between the cross shaft and the upper and lower ends of thebearing to receive the eye member during up and down oscillationthereof, and the aforesaid weight arm being so shaped as to clear theupright bearing.

10. In combination, a doll head made of rubber and having eye openings,said head being molded with inwardly directed walls at the eye openingsdefining sockets projecting rearwardly from the eye openings, an eyeassembly inserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising agenerally. hemispherical outer shell openv at the rear and cut away atthe front to conform to an eye open ing, an eye member within said outershell, a weight arm formed integrally with said eye member, andextending rearwardly and downwardly from said eye member, a weight atthe end of said weight arm, and a cross shaft extending horizontallyacross the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of the eye, and pinsdriven through said sockets immediately behind the outer shells to holdthe eye assemblies in the head, said pins being so located as not tointerfere with the desired movement of the weight arms.

11. In combination, a doll head made of rubber and having eye openings,aid head being molded with inwardly directed walls at the eye openingsdefining sockets projecting rearwardly from the eye openings, a rollingeye assembly inserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising anouter shell open at the rear and cut away at the front to conform to theeye opening, an eye member within said outer shell, a weight arm formedintegrally with said eye member and extending rearwardly and downwardlyfrom said eye member, a weight at the end of said weight arm, a crossshaft extending horizontally I across the eye for up and down orsleeping movement of the eye, an upright bearing struck out of sheetmetal and carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lower ends of saidupright bearing being pivotally received at the top and bottom of theouter shell to afford side to side or rolling movement of the eye, saidupright bearing being cut away at the front to receive the eye memberduring up and down oscillation thereof, and the aforesaid weight arm being longitudinally slotted or cut away to receive the upright bearing.

12. In combination, a doll head having eye openings, said head beingmolded with inwardly directed walls at the eye openings defining socketsprojecting rearwardly from the eye openings,

arolling eye assembly inserted in each socket,-

said eye assembly comprising an outer shell open at the rear and cutaway at the front to conform to an eye opening, an eye member withinsaid outer shell, a weight arm extending rearwardly from said eyemember, a cross shaft extending horizontally across the eye for up anddown or sleeping movement of the eye, an upright bearing carrying thecross shaft, the upper and lower ends of said upright bearing beingpivotally received at the top and bottom of the outer shell to affordside to side or rolling movement of the eye, the aforesaid weight armclearing the upright bearing, and pins driven through said socketsimmediately behind the outer shells to hold the eye assemblies in thehead, said pins being so located as not to interfere with the desiredmovement of the weight arms.

13. In combination, a doll head made of rubber and having eye openings,said head being molded with inwardly directed walls at the eye openingsdefining sockets projecting rearwardly from the eye openings, a rollingeye assembly inserted in each socket, said eye assembly comprising anouter shell open at the rear and cut away at the front to conform to aneye opening, an eye member within said outer shell, a weight arm formedintegrally with said eye member and extending rearwardly and downwardlyfrom said eye member, a weight at the end of said Weight arm, a crossshaft extending horizontally across the eye for up and down or sleepingmovement of the eye, an upright bearing struck out of sheet metal andcarrying the cross shaft, the upper and lower ends of said uprightbearing being pivotally received at the top and bottom of the outershell to afford side to side or rolling movement of the eye, saidupright bearing being cut away at the front to receive the eye memberduring up and down oscillation thereof, and the aforesaid weight armbeing longitudinally slotted or cut away to receive the upright bearing,and pins driven through said sockets immediately behind the outer shellsto hold the eye assemblies in the head, said pins being so located asnot to interfere with the desired movement of the weight arms. I

14. A single rolling doll eye assembly, said assembly comprising anouter shell open at the rear and cut away at the front to conform to aneye opening, an eye member within said outer shell, a weight armextending from said eye member, a cross shaft extending horizontallyacross the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of the eye, anupright bearing carrying the cross shaft, the upper and lower ends ofsaid upright bearing being pivotally received at the top and bottom ofthe outer shell to afford side to side or rolling movement of the eye,the aforesaid weight arm being so shaped as to clear the uprightbearing.

15. A rolling doll eye assembly, said assembly comprising an outer shellcut away at the front to conform to an eye opening, said outer shellbeing open at the rear and expanding in diameter from the front towardthe rear, an eye member within said outer shell, said eye member beingapproximately hemispherical and open at the rear, a cros shaft extendinghorizontally across the eye for up and down or sleeping movement of theeye, the ends of said cross shaft terminating within the outer shell, anupright bearing struck out of sheet metal and carrying the cross shaft,said upright bearing having forwardly extending arms at the top andbottom adapted to fit between the eye member and the outer shell,vertical pins at the forward ends of said arms received in bearings inthe outer shell, said arms being curved to conform to the sphericalshape of the eye member and to help avoid interference with the outershell during side to side oscillation or rolling movement of the eye,said upright bearing further including a forwardly extending part at themiddle with an open-sided hole frictionally receiving the aforesaidcross shaft with a force fit.

SAMUEL MARCUS

